Loading assemblies for use in filling diesel locomotive fuel tanks



Jan. 20, 1959 A. N. BISGARD ET AL 2,869,594

LOADINGASSEMBLIES FOR USE IN FILLINGIDIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FUEL TANKS Filed Jan. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 3

Jan. 20, 1959 A. N. BISGARD ETAL 2, 6

LOADING ASSEMBLIES FOR USE IN FILLING DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FUEL TANKS Filed Jan. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 8

AITTORNEY ifatented Jan. 20, 1959 LOADING'ASSEMBLIES FOR USE IN FILLING DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FUEL TANKS Andrew N. Bisgard, Denver, Frank A. Robinson, Wheatridge, and John P. Spiess, Denver, Colo.

Application January 10, 1958, ,Serial No. 708,228, s claims. (Cl. 141-409 This invention relates to a loading assemblyfor use in filling diesel locomotive fuel tanks. It has been heretofore impossible to use conventional automatic .shut-oif nozzles for filling the fuel tanks of diesel locomotives since all such nozzles at present on the market depend upon a long filling spout which must be inserted into the fuel tank so that the fuel level therein will rise above the spout to automatically close the filling valve when the tank is full. Due to the construction and position of the fuel tanks in a diesel locomotive, it is impossible to insert these long filling spouts into the tanks so that the fuel level therein will rise to operate the automatic shutoff valve. As a result, the tanks are overfilled and fuel oil is wasted through the overflow pipes and flame arresters with which such tanks are provided.

The principal objectof this invention is to provide means upon a diesel locomotive fuel tank which will cooperate with means upon an automatic shut-off nozzle whereby the nozzle will be closed when the fuel level in the tank reaches a predeterminedpoint without it being necessary to insert a long filling spout of an automatic fuel nozzle into the tank so as to completely eliminate overfilling and the resulting fuel oil wastage.

Another object of the invention isto so construct the loading assembly that it will not in any way interfere with the use of the standard connectors with. which the locomotive and the loading stations are p at present equipped and so that it will not interfere with or disturb the fuel screens and flame arresters with which the filling throats of diesel locomotive tanks are provided.

' A further object of the invention is to so construct the improved loading assembly that it can be adapted to the many different types of conventional locomotives and fuel tanks without change in the construction of or position of the tanks or the tank filler tube and so that a filling hose can be quickly and easily connected to and disconnected from the tank.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description. t

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front end view of a conventional diesel electric locomotive fuel tank illustrating the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the tank of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 3--3, Fig. 2 through a filler tube with which such tanks Fig. 6 is a cross section through the nozzle of Fig. 5, taken on the line 6-6 thereof;

Fig. 7 is a still further enlarged, fragmentary, detail view partially in section, illustrating a terminal extremity of a vent tube as employed in this invention;

. Fig. 8 is a similarly enlarged detail section illustrating the improved shut-off nozzle connected to a vent tube of the type shown in Fig.7; and

Fig. 9 is a similarly enlarged detail section taken on the line 9-9, Fig. 1, illustrating a vent nipple by means of which the vent tube is connected to the fuel tank.

In the drawing, the undercarriage of a conventional diesel electric locomotive is indicated at 11 with the conventional fuel tank 12 suspended therebelow. Each fuel tank is provided with a right and a left tank filler tube 13 which extend oppositely outward at each side of the locomotive through apron plates 14 extending downwardly from the sides of the undercarriage 11; The tank filler tubes 13 communicate through the top of the tank 12 and each is provided with a tubular cup-shaped flame arrester and fuel screen 15 and each terminates at its automatic shut-off valve for use withthis type of tank..

Such an automatic shut-off valve is illustrated more in detail in Fig. 5 and comprises avalve housing 20 provided with a discharge spout 21 and an intake tube 22. The

valve discharge spout 21 is provided witha quick-attachable coupler 38 of the type used on conventional railroad tank-filling equipment arranged for quick attachment to the bayonet threads 17 of the terminal nipple 16 of the tank filler tubes 13. l i

The intake tube 22 is designed to be attached to the extremity of a conventional fuel hose 23. The housing 20 is provided with a shut-off valve 24 which can be pulled from its seat in the housing by means of a valve pull rod 25 connected to a. finger grip lever26 mounted ina handle guard 2'7. One extremity of the grip lever 26 pries against the rear extremity of a fulcrum rod 28 to provide leverage for pulling the shut-off valve 24 from its seat.

Forward movement of the fulcrum rod. 23, during the opening of the valve 24, is prevented by means oflocking rollers 29 which engage in a roller notch in theforward extremity of the fulcrum rod 28. The shut-off valve 24 is constantly urged toward its seat. by means of a relatively heavy valve spring 30 and the valvecan be latched away from its seat by engaging: the finger. grip lever 26 behind an abutment 3l'onthe handle guard When the finger grip lever is in the latched position, the shut-off valve 24 can be released to the: action of the spring 30 by moving the locking rollers 29 downwardly fromthe roller notch and into an elongated slot 32 in the forward extremity of the fulcrum rod 23 so that the latter may snap forwardly to release the shut-off valve and allow it to close under the influence of the spring 30.

The releasing movement of the locking rollers is accomplished through the medium of a flexible vacuum diaphragm 33 carrying a roller yoke 42 upon which the rollers 29 are mounted. The diaphragm 33 is constantly urged upwardly by means of a diaphragm spring 3 5 to resiliently maintain the rollers 29 in latched engagement with the roller notch of the fulcrum rod 23. The diaphragm 33 covers a vacuum chamber 35 from which air is constantly drawn through venturi suction ports 36 to. which airis constantly admitted to replace the air being withdrawn therefrom through an air hose 37 communicating with the chamber 35. Thus, the diaphragm 33 cannot be drawn downwardly to release the fulcrum rod 28 unless air is prevented from entering the hose 3.7 to allow a vacuum to form in the vacuum chamber 35.

Toadapt the tank 12 to the uses of this invention, the tank is provided with a vent nipple 39 extending through the front wall of the tank at the desired maximum, liquid fuel level therein, as shown in Fig. 9. A vent tube 41% extends outwardly from each side of the vent nipple 39 through the apron plates 14 at each side of the undercarriage 11. Each vent tube 40 terminates in a terminal elbow 41 extending through its respective apron plate 14 and each elbow 41"is provided with a conventional quick-detachable coupling nipple 43 of any suitable type such as commercially known as Snap-Tito" coupling. In such a coupling, a coupler 44 slips over the extremity of the nipple 43 and is locked in place thereon by means of lockingballs 46 which are in turn locked in place by means of a locking sleeve 45. Such a coupling is provided with a check valve 47' in the nipple 43 and a similar check valve 48 is provided in the coupler 44. When the coupler is in place on the nipple 43', both check valves are forced open by contact with each other. For the purpose of this invention, the coupler 44 is threaded onto a male terminal nipple 49 on the airhose 37.

When the locomotive is in transit all of the fuel terminal nipples 16 are closed by their respective closure caps 18 which accommodate temperature expansion through their expansion check valves 19. All of the vent tubes 40 are similarly closed by means of the check valves 47 attheir terminal extremities. At fuel loading stations along the right of way, the loaders remove the most convenient closure cap mend insert the discharge spout 21 of their nozzles into the open terminal nipples 1:6 and secure the nozzle in place thereon by a quarter turn of the coupler 38. They then push the coupler 44 of the air hose 37 over the adjacent vent tube nipple 43 to open the check valves 47 and 48'. The finger grip lever 26 of the nozzle is then pulled rearwardly' and locked behind the latching abutment 32.. Fuel then fljows past the shut-off valve '24 and into the tank 12.

As the fuel level in the tank 12 rises, the air will be expelled from the tank through the check valve 19 in theclosure cap 18 at the opposite side of the tank. A slight air pressure will be created in the vent tubes 4d, the air hose 37, and the vacuum chamber to maintain the locking rollers 29 in their locked position in the fulcrum rod 28. When the fuel level in the tank reaches the vent nipple 39, however, the supply of air to the vacuum chamber 35 will be cut off. The suction created through the suction ports 36 by the venturi action of the incoming fuel will instantly create a vacuum in the vacuum chamber 35, causing the diaphragm 33 to be forceddownwardly by atmospheric pressure to release the locking rollers from the, fulcrum rod 28 to allow the valve spring 30 to snap the shut-01f valve 24 to the closed position to instantaneously shut-OE. e incoming. fuel a the preset fuel level in the tank.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secure-d by Letters Patent is:

'1. A, fuel loading assembly for a diesel locomotive comprising: a fuel tank; a tank filling hose; a tank filler tube opening through the top of said tank at each side thereof; a removable check valve closing each filler tube; a vent nipple communicating through. the wall of said tank at the desired maximum liquid level therein; a vent tube extending outwardly from each side of said vent nipple to a terminal adjacent each of the said tank filler tubes; an inwardly opening check valve closing the outer extremity of each vent tube; an automatic shut-.ofi nozzle on the extremity of said tank filling hose; means for connecting said nozzle with one of said tank filler tubes after the removal of the removable check valve therefrom; a shut-01f valve in said nozzle; means. urging said shut-off valve to a seat to stop the flow through said nozzle; a vacuum chamber in said nozzle; means for allowing said shut-off valve to be urged to its seat in consequence of the creation of a vacuum in said vacuum chamber; an air tube extending from said vacuum chamber and acting to admit air to the latter to prevent the formation of a vacuum therein; check valve opening means on said air tube; and means for detachably con-t necting said air tube to the outer extremity of either one of said vent tubes so that the opening means. will open the check valve in the outer extremity of that vent tube to place the latter in communication with said vacuum chamber to allow air to flow to said chamber until the liquid level in said tank rises above said vent nipple.

2. A loading assembly for filling diesel locomotive. fuel tanks as described in claim 1 in which the removable check valves closing the tank filler tubes are of" the outwardly opening variety so that when the shut-off nozzle is connected with one of the tank filler tubes the air compressed by the rising fuel in the tank will be forced outwardly through the check valve of the tank filler tube at the opposite side of said tank;

'3. A loading assembly for filling diesel locomotive fuel tanks as described in claim 2 in which the checkvalve-opening; means comprises an inwardly-opening check valve in the extremity of said air hose positioned to contact the inwardly opening check valve in the extremity of a vent tube so that both check valves will open simultaneously when the air hose is connected with the extremity of a vent tube.

Gravelle x Nov. 7, 1950 

